Constant height adjustable grille



o wire I6 in both Figs.

Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITE-o STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,225,167 i CONSTANTHEIGHT Aniosrlusnii GRILLE .John F. Farmer, Indianapolis, Ind.Application June 8, 1939, Serial No. 277,985

z claims.

This invention relates to extensible grilles or guards intended 'to beemployed in conjunction with screen doors, open windows and the like. Aprimary object of the invention is to provide a grille structure thatmay be adjustable laterally without altering the initial verticaldimension oi the frame. It is necessary to make a laterally adjustablegrille to accommodate the various sizes of doors or openings in orderthat one grille may be employed throughout quite a range of dierences indimensions of these openings so that it will not be necessary to carryindividual grilles of fixed dimensions in the many sizes otherwiserequired. Y f

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention, such asthe unique manner of retaining the grille within the frame lmembers andthe mechanical features connected therewith, will become apparent tothose versed in the art in the following description of the invention asillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevation oa structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, an end elevation;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the structure in extended condition;

Fig 4, a detail in perspective on an enlarged scale of the relativeposition of the grille and channel members in the reduced widthposition; and

Fig. 5, a similarview in perspective but showing the relation of thegrille and channel members when the grille is in the extended condition.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews in the drawing.

A wire grille, generally designated by the numeral I5, is formed byinterweaving a plurality of wires I6 to give a more or lessdiamond-shaped mesh. As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, each wire I6 isdeformed at regularly spaced intervals to form in effect a slotthereacross to dene the crossing junction of that wire with anotherwire. The slot is best illustrated in the end ofthe 4 and 5 where it isdesignated by the numeral I1. By employing this form, the grille I5 maybe extended and retracted within its own plane, the retracted positionbeing indicated in Fig. 1 whereas the extended position is indicated inFig. 3.

I form a metallic, rectangular frame having vertical end members I8 andI9 to which are attached the horizontally extending members 20, 2I and22, 23 respectively. It is to be noted that all of these various framemembers are of a hollow (Cl. 2li-71) channel construction slottedlongitudinally of the members along their inner sides so as to receivethe marginal portionsof the various edges of the grille I5 through thoseslots and so as to have in, thev retracted position, a considerable areaof those marginal portions within the members. As indicatedin Figs. v1and 3, the channel member 2l) telescopes Within the channel member 22and the channel member 23 at the bottom telescopes within the otherchannel member 2l. Thistelescoping arrangement keeps the top and bottomrails, each composed of the two respective telescoping members, inlongitudinal alignment, and the respective ends of those top and bottomcombined rails are secured respectively to the top and bottom ends ofthe vertical end frame members I8 and I9 by any suitable means such asby hollow rivets 24, these rivets being purposely made hollow soV as topermit entrance therethrough of screws for attaching thegrille to adooror a window frame when such means of attachment is desirable. Inthis regard, each of the end frame members I8 and I9 is provided with anupper and lower extending ear 25 and 26 respectively through which anopening is formed to receive screws therethrough if that form ofattachment is preferred.

As above indicated, the marginal edge portions of the grille I5 arereceived within the channel frame members. The top and bottom portionsof the grille are left free to travel vertically as well as horizontallyin their respective receiving members, While the ends or the grille I5are retained Within the vertical members I8 and I9 by any suitablemeans, such as by the rivets 21 and 28 respectively passing entirelythrough those members and through a portion of the grille as indicatedin Fig. 1.

With this assembly above described, the end members I8 and I9 may bepulled apart one from the other and the grille I5 will travel therewithby reason of the presence of the rivets 21 and 28 so as to expand thegrille I5 from one such position as indicated in Fig. l to that positionas indicated inlig. 3. It is to be noted that in going from the oneposition to the other, the grille will expand laterally but will bereduced in vertical height. The top and bottom frame members are madesufliciently wide to retain the ends of the various wires I6 withinthose members during this vertical travel. This travel is bestillustrated in comparing Figs. 4 and 5 where in Fig. 4, the grille isshown in the retracted position corresponding to Fig. 1 where the endsof the wires I6 will be substantially in abutment with the upper 55 andlower edges of the top and bottom members respectively. A limitingfeature oi this retracted position is obtained by reason of the abutmentaiorded by the U-shaped deformations 29 on the wires at their crossingpositions abutting the frame members on each side of the slot throughwhich the grille extends. 'I'he degree of expansion of the grille isdetermined when the next deformation 29 within the top and bottom framemembers strikes those members on the insides thereof, as indicated inFig. 5. Thus these two spaced apart lines of deformations inherentlyprovided in the grille itself serve to limit the retracted as well asthe expanded positions of the grille, and further serve, in the expandedposition, to prevent the ends of the various wires I6 from leaving thetop and bottom frame members. It is, therefore, to be seen that by theVery simple expedient above described, a grill is provided that willhave a considerable degree of expansion but will have a frame ofconstant height.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the best form asnow known to me, it is obvious that structural changes` may be employedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, donot desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations asmay be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a fixed height, extensible grille, an interlaced grille fillerconsisting of spaced apart interwoven members each having oppositelypresented U-shaped deformations therein at the intersections of themembers, end channel frame members of fixed length, and top and bottomrails fixed by their ends to said end frame memers, each of said railsconsisting of at least a pair of telescoping channels, the marginal endportions of said grille being entered into the intersections of themembers, end channel frame members of fixed length, and top and bottomrails fixed by their ends to said end frame members, each of said railsconsisting of at least a pair of telescoping channels, the marginal endportions of said grille being entered into the channel of each of saidend frame members, and means for retaining said grille portions therein,said top and bottom marginal edge portions of the grille filler beingentered into the channels of said top and bottom rails, said railshaving sufficient depth to retain the edge of the ller therein duringvertical travel as the filler is laterally expanded and retracted, eachof said rails being provided with a restricted longitudinally extendingslot through which the ller extends into the rails, said slots beingdei-ined by an opening between inturned edges of the rail wall, and saidller edge portions entering said rails being formed to have each of theller members terminating with an abutment to strike said inturned walledges of the rails to limit expansion of the filler, the deformationnext adjacent the end of each filler member being outside oi said railsto serve as a limiting sto-p upon in- Ward travel of the ller uponretraction thereof.

JOHNv F. FARA/LER.

